


Flight

by SkyTheLoner



Series: Miscellaneous Crossovers [4]
Category: Golden Treasure: The Great Green (Video Game), 蜘蛛ですが なにか? | Kumo desu ga Nani ka | So I'm a Spider So What? - Okina Baba
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Cultural Differences, Dragons, Gen, Golden Treasure: The Great Green - Compassion Route, Mild Blood, Monsters, Mostly plotless, Not sure where is/was going tbh, Past Lives, Post-Golden Treasure: The Great Green - Compassion Route, Reincarnation, Self-Indulgent, Slice of Life, Slow To Update, Spoilers, Spoilers for Golden Treasure: The Great Green - Part III, Spoilers for Kumo Desu LN 7, Time Skips, Video Game Mechanics, may or may not be completed, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24957157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyTheLoner/pseuds/SkyTheLoner
Summary: You awaken after death.
Series: Miscellaneous Crossovers [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1311356
Kudos: 7





	1. Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to change it to past tense - present's kinda hard to write.

There was quiet.

There was nothing here, not even your own heartbeat nor your lifeblood flowing in your veins.

Your lifeblood was spilled on the ground there. so wet and sticky and dripping down your throat. You couldn't take it.

Then nothing.

Then this.

This is the end, right?

This is... after the end? Your thoughts drift back to what the lumberkin was talking about. Something other than the earth devouring and destroying you. It was strange - to be encased in darkness without your beating heart or the metallic scent of shiny things drifting in your nostrils. Unfamiliar, your mind sings as you peer into nothing. You normally could hear a heartbeat, whether from your prey or yourself. Now, there was nothingness.

You could neither Create nor Destroy, or even find shiny things.

That was the way of the Draak-kin.

So then... what is the point?

Just _being_ was pointless. You couldn't call yourself a Draak-kin now, could you? Without creation or destruction, what was the point of a creature's existence, you wonder, mentally thumping your tail on the ground. Once, you destroyed as the way of the kin, your creator, told you too, but now you could do no more than waste away and turn to ash, then beyond even that.

But, there was still this.

Nothing beyond.

Just silence.

Empty silence.

Nothing.

Will there be something?

You hoped the lumberkin was right about there being something after death.

Something.

A corner of your mind sparked, sputtering at first, then it bursted into flames that roared like kin. That something was a memory, you realized as you mentally blinked in surprise, senses open now. No longer in slumber.

Your ears - they caught something like a tiny thudding. The beating of a Notail instrument, but more alive. A pulsating in your ears and chest.

You heard something.

You heard _something!_

_Thump._

Then again.

_Thu-thump._

A beating in your chest.

...heart... beat?

Your heartbeat? Your heart was beating again?

Was the lumberkin right?

Mentally, you tilted your head. It was so?

Something After?

Your heartbeat sounded in you ears.

* * *

You were in a Wall.

Another Wall, just like the one you first crawled out of. It wasn't the same though, you notice as you push a part of it away weakly. Your limbs don't respond to your mind properly, signaling the weakening of your Fire. Your Fire had only been this small twice before: the beginning of your life, and during Allmother's trail.

It was closer to the first time.

Your beautiful scales were covered in eggmatter, you noted as you shook your body clean of it. It's wet. You can't bring yourself to care - you live!

Mother Earth and Father Sky have blessed you with life again. You feel pride.

You may destroy and maybe even create, if you wanted to.

...though belatedly you realized you are but a sun old, and have to matured in this new form. Your touch with your Fire, Earth, Water, and Air is lacking now - your pride has wittered just a bit now.

Pushing aside the last pieces of the Wall, you shook your body again, chips of it falling off.

It was silver with specks of emerald green.

You were Emeraldclan.

Well, before.

...wait.

You're body was Draak.

Not Notail as Allmother fortold.

Not shinny limbs and hairless body.

Your new form...

It harbored black and green scales, no sign of your iridescent plumage. You beautiful feathers - you weren't as vain as some of your kin, but this hurt. Your claws were sharp and shiny, at least, if a bit small. You found yourself thinking of Allmother's trial again, where you lived as a tiny creature, your thoughts not for yourself but for Her.

You glanced behind you to see your new wings.

Bony and thin, they looked like the wings of a shrieker. You knew what those look like very well, having let a colony of them reside in your old cave for a while. Could they withstand the weight of your body? You were smaller now, but you still wondered. You waited to fly before, so you supposed you could wait some more.

Still, you supposed you could try, right?

Couldn't hurt.

You flapped them slowly.

Then again.

Then you took an unsteady step forward, your leg almost collapsing under you as you tried to walk for the first time again. But you pushed on and put another leg forward with your toe spread out for balance. Then you take another step, then another.

You took another step and stumbled.

You almost fall. But you don't.

You kept walking, then you started running towards a hill - your new creator was nowhere to be seen, unsurprisingly - and started climbing.

You ran. You leaped. You flew.

You jumped into the air again, your wings spread and catching the wind with ease. The Sky is you domain now too. It couldn't flee. Your instinct had not left you.

Increasing your speed just a bit, you reached out and tried to grab it from the skies, but your claws grasped mere air.

So close!

You growled and flapped your wings harder, your muscles weak, feeling annoyed. Your wings were beginning to burn inside as your energy slips away.

 _No._ You practiced flying before you set out to hunt; you could do this.

**< Proficiency has reached the required level.>**  
**< Skill [Flight Lv 1] has become [Flight Lv 2].>**

Something sung to you and the spiny outline of something flashed in your mind.

Ignoring the song, you pushed forward and felt your claws touch feathers, then flesh, then air again.

The creature whirled around in midair in a desperate attempt to end the Dance and began flapping its wings hard to whip up a gale.

You ducked and swerves, and took aim.

You are Air!

You laughed.

Your jaws opened, then closed.

Metallic.

**< Proficiency has reached the required level.>**  
**< Acquired the skill [Cutting Enhancement Lv 1].>**

Something.

Something similar to a song had rung in your mind, and you raised your head in alarm. What was that?

Who was singing like a Notail- no, a Brightling. Unnatural like the time you had let a Brightling touch your feathers. Like when you watched them singing in their alien song. A tongue that you didn't understand.

Other.

Distorted.

Flashes of red crossed your mind's eye - long lines that remind you of a slash from a goodbeast claws, hot and sticky like blood. Claws cutting through flesh.

Something about claws cutting, then?

Hm, that was probably it.

You would have liked to be able to cut through this creature's bones though, since you were focusing on that when the voice spoke up. You didn't know why it sang.

 _What?_ you sung in response, singing to the world. _Why are you singing?_

There was no response.

_What was the reason?_

You huffed, then resumed digging into your meal, cutting it up with your claws. You managed to cut through the bone this time.

Maybe that someone was telling you about this newfound strength then?

_Thank you then._

You started eating your first meal after... your death?

Well, you knew you phsical body didn't survive, at least, but your soul did.

So, death it was.

* * *

Allmother, huh?

Mm, well, you couldn't say you agree with Many Times Burned's way of thinking at least.

Not after what happened to the Notail - Tailless - with the pictures on the wall.

You almost want to make the Tailless who killed it Burn, but the fact was that it wasn't a struggle. It was unjust destruction, but the signs pointed to the fact that it let its fellow kin slay it. It knew it was dying.

It wasn't fair.

You were sad, sure, but you were angry too.

It...

Destruction was a the way of life for Draak-kin.

Destroy to live. You knew that.

As you have come to conclude, there were four types of destruction:

1\. The way of the Draak-kin, in order to continue life.

2\. Defense, which was displayed when you fought of the beast hunting the Tailless cub.

3\. Mercy, like you did to the goodbeast with the foam from its mouth and fire in its mind.

and the way that Many Times Burned preached.

Destruction wouldn't have led you to met the Notail, right? Not on the riverbank and not reuniting years later.

Destruction wouldn't have led you to met the clansinger pack with peace, rather than painful war.

So, you agreed with Allmother in the end.

Compassion.

* * *

You haven't seen this place you were in at all.

Not in dreams.

Or anywhere.

You didn't dreaming of Allmother or Many Times Burned anymore.

You haven't claimed an territory yet. so you have been wandering.

The goodbeast here were strange, so you had to observe them to learn more. This place's way was strange like a Notail.

Empty.

There wasn't any grass, just dried clumps of plantmatter.

No life but you and a meager amount of goodbeasts for a miles. And monsters that could rip you in two, ones that look like a mishmash of goodbeast and Draak-kin: Surefoots with the fangs of a tailbeasts, featherbeast that have the claws of clansingers and more.

You avoided them.

Carefully, you proceeded through the wilderness, your body growing stronger as you destroyed.

You found some fresh water after a while.

Landing sloppily on the ground, you walked towards the pool of clear water coming from the rock. The sound of running water made you more relaxed; a contented rumbling rose from your throat as you settle down by the water's edge.

Peace.

You dipped your head down to drink and felt the cool water dripping down your parched throat.

It tasted good.

Crisp. You feel restored.

Full and refreshed, you crawled under a nearby rock and drift off. This seemed like a good place to claim: water, food, shelter.

**< Experience has reached the required level.>  
** **< Individual Runefeth has increased from Lv 5 to Lv 6.>**

**< Proficiency has reached the required level.>**  
**< Skill [Wind Wrym Lv 1] has become [Wind Wrym Lv 2].>**

The image of a Draak-kin growing larger.

You had heard that sung a few times before. It meant you were stronger.

It was then followed a Draak-kin with the Air around it. 

Maybe that meant you were more in tune with the air?

Well, whatever it was, it meant you were stronger.

You dug into your meal, ripping it apart carefully with your fangs and claws. It was tasty.

You destroyed and hunted.

 **< Experience has reached the required level.>  
** **< Individual Runefeth has increased from Lv 6 to Lv 7.>**

**< Experience has reached the required level.>  
<Individual Runefeth has increased from Lv 7 to Lv 8.>**

**< Experience has reached the required level.>  
<Individual Runefeth has increased from Lv 8 to Lv 9.>**

You offered up a few words of thanks to the singer.

You still didn't know who it was though. Or how and why it existed. Was it an abmormality like an Enkindled or the Great Green Spirit, or was it something else, like the Brightlings? What had created it, you wonder.

Well, you were grateful anyways.

**< Proficiency has reached the required level.>**  
**< Acquired the skill [Prayer Lv 1].>**

_...you're welcome._

* * *

_"Hey! What's the big idea?"_

A song?

Were you not alone?

A song, sharp and biting, wormed its way into your mind, sounding grating to your ears. It hurt and you shied away, looking around for the stranger. You couldn't seem to find it, you realized. Your heart started beating faster.

Alert, you crawlled out from under the rock and scaned the skies.

Where was it?

_"Right here buddy."_

Fangs. Its tone was sharp, but didn't have too much tone to it.

You flinched and scrambled back a few paces.

In front of you was an unfamiliar Draak-kin with harsh green scales that glittered like shiny things in the light. It stood a few heads taller than yourself with golden feathers on its head. Beautiful.

You decided to call it Fang, for its teeth.

 _"So big bro mentioned somebody was killin' off the things coming to the edges of this ol' dump, right?_ " Fang sung, double layered and sharp, the top of its tail twitching like a slideclaw's - dangerous. _"And I think I found who."_

You blinked, processed it, then bowed your head to the elder.

Was this someone's territory?

Such a disgrace to the laws: entering another's territory unannounced.

 _"Look, bro doesn't want trouble, so just move you hunting grounds a day east, 'kay kiddo?"_ It sounded merely annoyed now, not baring its fangs anymore. _"You'll probably find more food there anyways."_

In response, you sat back down a thought, you couldn't leave your territory, could you?

Then again, disobeying an elder kin could be deadly.

...and it had mentioned more food...

...But your territory-

Urgh.

So you had no choice.

You bowed you head again and nodded slowly. You meekly sing a song of apology to the senior Draak.

_"...O-okay?"_

Fang's song was confused.

( _"What the stars did that mean?"_ the wind dragon wondered to himself later.)

You were Air again, but it left a strange feeling in your chest.

* * *

You headed to more fertile land with many goodbeasts.

You landed, claimed territory, and rested.

You hunted.

You found more Notail hives.

These ones... were strange.

They were surrounded by stone blocks with tall pillars rising high above - much more advanced than the others you had seen. You wondered if they had met the Dwelvers, since they seemed to have something to do with the stranger treasures you found. Like the shakestick, that they had offered many shiny things for.

You wondered if you were in tune enough with the Water or even Air to venture closer to the hive. You could see a single brown plainsrunner lunging along containers with Tailless rider on top. If your hunting before and now was any proof, your stealth was quite high. You didn't want to engage in a Dance of Destruction, but you were curious to know if they had any interesting shiny things to collect - your hoard _was_ lacking.

You flattened your body to the ground, wings closed and pressed close to you as you extended a forepaw. Lightly putting it down, you repeated the action as you creep closer to your target. The Notails remained unaware of your presence, but you knew better - it was only a matter of time before they knew.

Tail twitching ever so slightly you crept closer and closer...

Until the plainsrunner turned to face you.

_Draak._

A Draak with the body of a plainsrunner.

You blinked, freezing on the spot. So... what was this, exactly?

Draak-faced plainsrunner? No, too long. Draak-face, then.

Plainsrunners and Draaks couldn't Create together, right? What kind of circumstances had made such a thing - the Others?

Or something worse?

Much, much worse... 

What type of soul this thing have? Was it body a plainsrunner, but its mind a draak? Or maybe its head was a plainsrunner too, since it obeyed like a slaved clansinger?

The draak-face peered at you with narrowed yellow eyes, snorted, and finally turned away. The Notail on it - covered in shiny things, you realized belatedly in dismay - patted it on the head. It said something to it in a worried tone, and you cringed away.

None of the Notails you fought before were covered in shiny things and colored stones like that. You remembered how hard it was to obtain treasure before you stole the shakestick by using the enslaved goodbeast. Heck, there was even a time when you got badly injured by a Notail, and then you...

Or maybe that had been a dream?

Either way...

Well, you didn't want to get involved. It seemed much too strong for you to best in combat.

You decided to avoid them until you were older - Notails were strange, strange creatures.

**< Condition met.>  
<Evolution available.>**

The voice's song shows a Draak changing drastically. Its filled with colors, you noticed as the symbols flow in your mind like water and for a second - its like when you ate that strange herb, but without the emotions it brought.

Change, huh?

You certainly didn't expect it so soon. You have only been here for a moon cycle or so. Wasn't this too soon?

You mentally shrug. Oh well.

But that meant you had to prepare for it. The last two times, you had consumed large amounts of food, so you should do the same here, then dig a cave to enter a great slumber again. It would take many years, you knew, so you had to eat a ton. With that settled, you turn to your hunting grounds and spread your wings wide.

Then you take off.

You caught several scents on the breeze when you deeply inhales the crisp air. Normally you could know what they were in a heartbeat, but the monsters here were unfamiliar to you unfortunately. Still, your sense of smell and connection to the wind were quite high, and your memory and in some way your existence carried over to this life. You still had plenty of knowledge about hunting, so you were fine.

Swerving your head around, you managed to catch sight of a decently sized surefoot eating some grass.

Well, it looked like a surefoot, but it had three sets of horns on its head and spiky grey fur. Its eyes were a deep golden color.

You decidd to creep closer to the goodbeast, body pressed low against the ground. You lightly set down a paw, your senses sharp and focused as you carefully controlled your underdeveloped form.

The surefoot's large eyes were focused on the ground in front of it. It remained unaware. Kicking the dirt with a hoof, it moves on to another patch of grass a few paces away, to your mild annoyance.

You crept closer, so close you might be able to touch it if you reached out.

Still, it slowly raised its head, small ears perking up. It sensed something was wrong, you realized as you suppressed a hiss. No matter, you thought with a silent grumble, you could wait.

Sure enough, the surefoot slowly lowered its head after a moment.

Growling, you sprung forward.

The surefoot made a surprised noise, stiffened, then fell over comically.

You pounced on the creature, pinning it down with your weight, fangs bared and gleaming. You quickly attempted to finish it with a bite to the neck, but one of the surefoot's legs kicked at you and hit your stomach. You let out a yelp of pain as a painful shock wave hit your body, recoiling and grimacing. You managed to keep your grip on the beast and bite it weakly, piercing a large artery in its neck.

Its body twitched and the light in its eyes dimmed.

Sitting down, you consumed the beast and crunched up the bones.

The meal was tasty.

When you finished, you yawned and rose to your feet. Scrapping the ground beside you, you manage to dig a decent sized hole in the dirt and push the remains of your meal into the hole. After you cover it up carefully, you inhaled a deep breath again. You needed a lot more food.

Well, this was it.

You pushed the last pieces of dirt into place, leaving a hole for breathing, of course.

You settled down in the cave you built, hopefully roomy enough for you to enter a deep sleep and change like you needed to.

_I'm ready._

**< Evolution start.>  
<Individually Runefeth will now evolve.>**

Then everything faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda wanted to make this fic longer...
> 
> I mean, it probably will be, but I'm not sure by how much.


	2. Part Two

You woke up.

There was the remnants of color in your vision, but you couldn't decipher them in time as they faded away.

Darkness again, but you can hear your heartbeat in your ears this time.

The cave felt more cramped as you wiggled around in the dirt, trying to get a feel for your new form. It's mostly just larger, but you could feel a few other changes as well. Kicking at the wall blocking the entrance, you caught sight of green and grey feathers on your form. Quite elegant, if you say so yourself. Since you chose to live by a small stream, you wanted to go and check out what you looked like in detail. For example, you wanted to know if your eye color changed any.

Huffing, your stomach growling in slight pain, you walked over to the exit and places your paws on either side of the tunnel. It was a bit too tight at the moment, so you would have to dig it out.

Slowly you scrapped away at the walls, clumps of dirt getting between your claws. Seriously, you were starving. Well, you knew hibernation took a lot of energy, lasting for, according to Darktooth, thirty to forty cycles. So it was natural. But you didn't remember it ever being this tiring - it used quite a lot of energy, but it wasn't this bad.

Maybe, this was something different?

After all, you hadn't heard the voice in your past life.

It didn't sound like anything you heard - so maybe this was something brought by the Other?

The way the voice spoke was like a Notail, goodbeast, and Draak-kin all in one. Double-layered and alien, like the Others or Dewlvers, or the Brightlings. This world - it could possibly not be your own...

...you didn't actually know. Darktooth had mentioned other worlds that they could supposedly thrive on, so maybe this was one of them. Though, you were under the impression that everything returned to the same earth, breathing the air.

There weren't any familiar Draak-kin around here.

That Draak that told you to go away wasn't Emerald Clan, nor Sapphire Clam, nor Ruby Clan nor anything else.

Well Fang had sort of looked like an Emerald Clan kin, if only in color, but other than that...

You hoped that they all followed the traditions, since they were built on the teachings of many, many Draak-kin.

You wanted to talk to Allmother some more. It seemed interesting.

Your claws touched fresh, clean air.

The outside.

You haven't felt too thirsty since being reborn, but you needed to calm your stomach somehow.

You started walking on shaky legs, getting your balance after a moment, and started walking over to the river a few meters away.

When you arrived at the river, you pushed aside reeds and walked to the riverbank.

Golden eyes. They were the first thing you noticed.

Grey and green feathers on your head, you noticed with a spark of joy. Not colorful yet, but soon. You twisted your body and spread a wing carefully, examining your new forepaws and new silver claws. Your wings still looked like a shrieker, but your forepaws were bigger with downy muted green feathers on the knuckles.

As for your body itself, it was more bipedal, your hind legs bigger and stronger now. Your scales were more green than black.

You delicately flapped your wings.

Time for a test drive.

In the long run, this possibly new world didn't matter.

But first, you needed to get something to eat.

You flapped your wings and took off into the blue, blue sky.

The sky.

Blue and dotted with clouds.

Beautiful.

You were Air again. You weren't that in tune with it in your past life though. In order, you were most in tune with Earth, Water, Fire, then Air.

The wind was swirling under your wings as you soared through the air, free and untamed.

For your test drive, you decided to explore some land near your den for the day, then take another quick hunt before settling down for the night. You were getting better at flying now, you noted, flapping you wings once more as you explored the lands around you. Your eyes took in the sights: the tall blue tinted mountains that rose out of the ground miles away; the long winding river with crystal clear waters racing downstream, no doubt filled with featherbeasts, silver-scaled creatures, and shellbeasts; the dips and valleys of the plains; and the hive filled with Notails to the southeast.

Glorious.

The Voice sung in your mind, showing you a draconian eye widening. In that instant, your eyesight suddenly sharpened a bit.

You squeaked and shook your head, blinking rapidly for a second.

Eugh. It startled you.

You huffed and peered around again, focusing.

One of the things that now stood out to you in this unexplored region is a large towering hill up ahead, grasses sprouting from the fertile earth. And peering closer, you saw many tiny creatures walking around. They were walking one after the other, in a straight line. Their bodies were brown with six thin legs sticking out and strange jaws. Some were carrying monsters in their jaws.

The groups were headed by a larger tiny creature with a black head and feelers twice as long as the others. One of the leaders that were leading the march looked at you for a second.

These tiny things...

Very familiar...

And suddenly it clicked:

Allmother's trial. Stars, how did you forget?

Where you had lived as a tiny creature, collecting food and defending the colony. And Her. Perfect Her.

Your final battle against the monster where your existence kept dimming in and out like a wave on the Great Blue. Pain. Weakness. Utter determination that matched any Draak, not aimed at oneself, but Her.

 _Dangerous resilience,_ you thought with a shudder, noticing the size of them. Just a bit smaller than you.

Hesitantly, you flew over the hill, circling overhead slowly.

You sung to them.

**"I sing to you to ask you about-"**

They all paused and looked at you with beady eyes, and you shivered suddenly.

Nothing.

Nothing, but then.

You got the feeling you should swerve to the side. _Now._

Twisting in the air, you swerved sharply to the side with all your strength. Something wet splattered on your scales, and you twisted your head to look. Then you felt the pain. _Urgh._ You must have been hit, you realized with a grimace, shaking your head.

A roar escaped you throat and the tiny creatures cringed back, mandibles snapping fearfully. You didn't really want to destroy these things for some reason. Maybe it was because you spent days living as one. You personally didn't care about Her, but you understood why they did what they did. Unnatural as it was to you yourself, you could respect it. So you didn't want to fight them.

They fired more shots, and you almost managed to avoid them all.

"Gargh!"

True, only the leaders could hit you, but stars.

Geez, it hurt.

**< Proficiency has reached the required level.>**  
**< Acquired the skill [Acid Resistance Lv 1].>**

The Voice spoke up as the pain lessened.

Growling, you lashed your tail and let out a loud roar that rippled over the land.

You don't want to-!

You barely even sung this time - you scream: **"GO AWAY!"**

It rippled through the crowd, causing them to cry out in pain. You might have even used Mindscream, but you don't care.

You roared again. You haven't felt anything close to this since you watched those Notails fight.

Very quickly after that, you fled.

You needed to clear your mind.

At the end of the day, you also found a pool that looked promising and a glittering crater.

You yawned.

Plan Two.

You knew what you were going to do today. It was probably pointless, but you were going to do it. Stars, what kind of Draak-kin were you? Some kind of disgrace.

Shaking away your tiredness, you left your den that had already been expanded. You had went hunting for the day yesterday for the strange surefoot - so strange that the Voice had spoken to you. Well, the Voice speaking to you was a good thing. Offering up another prayer, you walked out to open air and take off into the sky.

You were probably going to regret this.

Pure insanity, this was.

_Crunch!_

You bite down hard on its neck and the surefoot's body when limp. This time you managed to do it without being spotted.

Keeping a tight grip on it, you stood up and began walking towards your destination - this wasn't to eat. You had a different plan in mind.

You ended up flying part of the way, but you landed a few hundred meters from your the hill.

That's right, you were at the hill with the tiny creatures.

Flinging the corpse in the air, you whirled around to retreat to a safe distance away from them - you didn't want to be attacked. At the very least, neutrality would be satisfactory so you could travel safely. When you landed a short ways away, you craned your head around to watch their reaction.

After a couple of moments, a group of tiny creatures noticed the body.

The leader crawled up to it. The creature went up to it and headbutted it - not the brightest, huh.

 _Well yeah,_ you mentally shrugged; you knew from experience.

After poking it with a leg, it finally gave the order to cut it up and bring it back to the hill. As the other ones sliced and collected the pieces, you continued to watch. The leader looked around with its beady eyes and finally locked onto you.

You had made sure to leave your scent on it, after all.

It looked at you, but it didn't attack.

...that seemed good.

Neutrality, at least, perhaps?

It dropped its gaze.

Perhaps...

* * *

Shiny.

Glittering.

So many shiny things.

It looked like the body of a shiny featherbeast.

Pushing aside a cluster of rocks with a foot, you looked through the rubble for more shiny pieces to add to your collection. The shiny things glittered softly in the afternoon sun, making it easier to find them. Now, the problem was getting them - some pieces were large and stuck into the hard, shiny ground around them.

Hrrr...

You grumbled to yourself as you dug them out. Such a pain - but a fair price for this many shiny things. It would probably take a few days to retrieve all this stuff.

For the time being, you were scrapping away the dirt and such around them and placing the shiny things into a pile at the edge of the area. Honestly, if the Dewlvers came up to you and told you they made this junk, you wouldn't be surprised at all. The metals shape was unnatural enough it was their word, clearly. The shiny material was bent in tubes and curves, and there was some red and blue string.

Biting the latter made your mouth sting.

You made a note not to bite too hard on the... shakestring, you decided to call it, for it reminded you of the shakestick.

You were going to miss that thing.

How easy this would be...

After a moment, you shook your head clear of mournful memories.

The glittering clear stone around the area made it hard to move at times, but you jumped and flew around the shiny field some more.

You worked for a bit more.

**< Proficiency has reached the required level.>**  
**< Acquired the skill [Strength Lv 1].>**

Forget going home.

By the stars, forget it for just a bit longer.

You peered into the darkness at your prize. Uniform perfection, like all Dwelver-things, there it sat.

Spherical.

It looked dangerous.

The treasure was about the size of your paw and appeared to be made of shiny things and clear stone. The colors reminded you of the place you found using the Crystal Fang from your Birther-Creator - hues of every color glittering softly. Something about it made your feathers rise in... hesitation, perhaps? Strange and Otherly like the false trees, you didn't know if you wanted to keep it now that you thought about it.

You named in the Colored Orb.

You poked in delicately with a thin claw and a low humming erupted from it. Hissing, you drew back, hackles raised in fear.

...you were just startled. You dignity as a Draak remained.

It didn't seemed to do much more than hum though. Did it observe, or was there nothing more to it?

Only time would tell...

Unfortunately, you weren't going to able to collect it, along with the other things, in one day. Disappointing, but it was so.

Over course of two days, you collected the treasure, disturbing the place where it lay.

Maybe that was why you were visited a few days after.

* * *

You woke up to the flapping of wings overhead, and you jerked your head upright. Inhaling deeply, you realized with confusion that it was Fang's scent that danced in the air, fresh and filled with command. Why was it here - you hadn't caused any trouble, have you?

Uncurling your body, you poke your head out of your den.

In front of you was a Draak you remembered.

Fang was sitting outside your den, feathers alight in the morning sun. Without opening its mouth, it sung a casual greeting: _"Hey."_

As always, its song was double-layered with a Notail-like song and Onesong symbols that lagged behind. 

Tilting your head, you sung a humble greeting, "What do you desire, elder one?"

It stared at you for a moment. Then blinked in confusion.

Huffing, it muttered, _"Yeah, hello."_ It shook itself. _"You were around messin' with that ol' plane, right? Well, have ya seen the MA Core - looks like a colorful sphere."_ When it sang this, it held its forepaws out and cupped into a circle.

"Plane"?

"MA Core"?

You only heard the Notail-like part of it, the stark lack a sigil hanging in your mind, like a Draak without treasure. You stared at it, then looked at your paws. Could Fang not translate in into Song?

Or rather, why did it use a mental version of Notail tongue anyways?

...ah, whatever.

But, colorful circle, right?

You clicked your tongue.

You did indeed have such a thing. But why did Fang want it? Was there any way you could barter with it, you wondered as you stood there in silence. You had many shiny things now and even though the song it sung was a tad crud, you could certainly understand it - a riddle could be understood, if it desired. In that case, you had several opinions here.

"Elder one, do you wish to trade?"

Fang tilted its head.

Finally, it muttered, _"I don't know how you do that stuff, but could you just hand it over?"_

...what stuff?

You felt confusion.

 _"_ Stuff?" you echoed.

Fang sighed. _"That thing with the mental pictures,"_ he elaborated. _"Though ya seem to be able to understand me fine enough."_

Song?

But Fang was doing it too.

So you could understand it through Song, but it couldn't understand you...

 _"Maybe I'll just ask the Boss 'bout it or something..."_ Fang muttered to itself. " _But, yeah, the colorful orb."_

...ah, right.

If mutual communication wasn't possible, then you couldn't hope to barter properly.

After a moment, you went and retrieved the colored orb, dubbed the "MA core", carrying it in your jaws. In front of Fang, you dropped it on the ground, pushing it forward.

The orb suddenly began hovering in the air, and you recoiled in alarm, feathers bristling and tail twitching. What kind of...

It started following Fang, who was looking at you with a strange look. _"Well, good day, kid."_

...now that you though about it, the Voice and Fang's songs looked similar.

You sat there in silence for a while.


End file.
